From the Sydney Harbour Tunnel to hospitals, airports and film sets, Macfarlane has powered Australia's most demanding jobs.
Hiring generators and other equipment is the perfect option for events, construction, emergency power outages and even long-term installations, and a great way to avoid upfront capital expenditure and keep costs down.
With over 75 years of expertise and a hire fleet from 2kVA up to 1250kVA - generators, load banks, light towers, fuel tanks and accessories - plus our own licensed team to deliver, connect and commission on site, you get the right power solution for any application.
We don't just hire it out, we install it
Most hire companies deliver a generator and leave the connection to you. That means a second contractor, a second invoice, and a delay before you have power.
We do the lot:
- Delivery to site, anywhere in Australia
- Changeover switch connection by our licensed electricians
- Load testing and commissioning, so it's proven before we leave
- Safe fuel management, including bunded tanks for extended runs
- Removal and off-hire at the end of the job
Every unit is PDI-tested before dispatch - fuelled, oiled, run and load-tested in our workshop. What arrives on site is a machine we've already proven works.
What we hire
✔ Portable Generators - 1kVA to 8.5kVA
Petrol, inverter and compact diesel. Small power tools, precision and sensitive equipment, market stalls, film and TV, home backup. Quiet inverter models available for noise-sensitive sites.
✔ Mobile Generators - 10kVA to 100kVA
Ideal when one hire needs to cover multiple locations. Events, concrete grinding and polishing, welding, power outages. Available trailer-mounted for easy site-to-site moves.
✔ Industrial Generators - up to 1250kVA and above
Skid-based and containerised diesel sets, available in silenced acoustic canopies. Construction, mining, hospitals, data centres, lighting and prime power. Single or three phase.
✔ Load Banks - 1kW to 1650kVA (and 3.3MVA for large jobs)
For testing, supporting and protecting power sources. Essential for commissioning and proving standby systems.
✔ LED Light Towers
Low-emission, low-noise LED floodlights for site and event lighting.
✔ Bunded Fuel Tanks
Compliant on-site fuel storage for extended generator runs and fuel transportation.
✔ Accessories
Cables, cable guards, junction boxes, distribution boards, extension leads, the extras a site actually needs.
Why hire a generator from Macfarlane
Powering Australia since 1949
Founded in Melbourne, still 100% Australian owned and operated.
Every unit PDI-tested
Fuelled, oiled, run and load-tested before dispatch. Most competitors just send the box.
We hire and install
Licensed electricians connect, load-test and commission on site. Not a delivery driver.
4 branches, 1 supplier
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane & Perth. National delivery, in-house servicing and genuine parts.
Three ways to get it right:
- Use our Power Calculator. Enter your equipment and it estimates the kVA you need, including motor starting loads and kVA/kW/amps/horsepower conversions.
- Send us your load list. Tell us what you're running and whether you need single or three phase. We'll size it for you.
- Call 1300 MAC GEN. Our help desk is run by people who know the product, we can help.
Rule of thumb: add up the power rating of everything you'll run at once, then add a buffer for motor start-up surge and losses. Motors and compressors can draw three to four times their running load on start-up, which is exactly where most DIY sizing goes wrong.
Generator hire FAQs
Both. We can deliver only, or have our licensed electricians connect, load-test and commission the unit on site, then remove it at the end of hire. It's the main thing that sets us apart from hire-only suppliers.
Every hire is quoted per job, because size, duration, delivery, installation and fuel all vary. Longer hires reduce the daily rate. Send an enquiry for a free, no-obligation quote.
It depends on your total load and whether you need single or three phase. Motors, compressors and pumps draw far more on start-up than when running, so a simple wattage total usually undersizes the unit. Use our Power Calculator for an estimate, or send us your equipment list and we'll size it properly.
Portable, industrial, commercial and diesel generators from 2kVA up to 1250kVA, plus light towers, load banks and bunded fuel tanks.
Yes. We hire from single-day jobs through to long-term site contracts.
We hire and deliver from our Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth branches. Call 1300 MAC GEN and we'll connect you to your nearest team.
Diesel is more fuel-efficient and built for high loads and long runs - the right choice for construction, industrial and extended hire. Petrol and inverter units are lighter, cheaper and better suited to small tools, events and short jobs.
Our inverter units and silenced acoustic-canopy industrial sets are built for noise-sensitive sites - events, film and TV, hospitals and built-up areas.
Call us. Every branch has in-house servicing, genuine spare parts and technicians who know the equipment
We hire and deliver Australia-wide from our Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth branches.